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The Faults in our Food Foibles: A Guide to Eating Better

Aniqa Mazhar
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The Faults in our Food Foibles: A Guide to Eating Better

Food is a solid part of every event in the culture of Pakistan. Whether it may be a joyous occasion like a wedding ceremony or a mourning one like a funeral, food is the main focus of the event for most of the guests present. Like every society, we have our set of food habits and norms which are difficult for us to change despite the fact that they may be deteriorating for our health in the long run.

Despite regular awareness on social media and by peers and experts, diet and food habits have always remained ambiguous topics. That’s because everyone has different food tastes and preferences, and everyone tends to experiment with different diet fads and trends in society. We should remember that we are what we eat and providing a balanced diet and lifestyle to our body ensures that it works well.

Social media is the strongest influencer for everyone nowadays. I, for example, mostly get to know about the latest diets and food trends through Instagram because I follow a lot of celebrities, nutritionists, and lifestyle bloggers there. Every one of them has their own ideas and tips to offer, but I’ll tell you one thing that there is a common line they all agree on: food can be used to influence your lifestyle and health, it can be your medicine or it can be your poison. That means everything you put in your mouth affects you in one way or the other, so you have to be careful about the constituents, quantity, and timing of the food that you consume.

 I’ll discuss some of the bad trends that tend to increase day by day in our society:

1. Late breakfast

The ideal time for breakfast is from 8 to 9 am. Most people don’t realize that this is the most important meal of the day and our energy level for the day depends on how good a breakfast we’ve had. Just drinking tea or processed white bread or a glass of milk or juice is not at all the right way to start your day. A typical Pakistani breakfast consists of a Paratha along with an egg or any curry or yogurt followed by tea. This is a perfectly healthy breakfast provided it is done at the ideal hour and the rest of the day is spent actively. Eating most of your calories for the day in the first meal of the day assures that you burn them throughout your routine and the body doesn’t store them as fat. Eating your breakfast late or skipping it altogether is harmful to the brain, which constantly requires a source of glucose to function properly.

2. Excessive use of caffeine

I think we got this trend from our drama industry. People portray tea as some kind of magic potion for headaches, stomach aches, bad moods, tiredness, etc. I know people will hate me for writing this down, but it is not okay to consume more than three cups of tea a day. You do not need to turn to tea as your rock in hard times, it’s just a drink that needs to be taken moderately.

I know people who drink six to seven cups a day because they feel like they need it. Well, hear clearly people; tea is not a medicine for your problems. Also, the typical tea involves using powdered whitener to your teabag. While these may take lesser time, they are not healthy. Try using fresh milk so that you get the benefits and nutrients of milk as well.

3. Not drinking enough water

Water is taken very lightly by people. Do you know that 90 percent of the cells in your body consist of water? Ideally, you should consume at least 8 glasses of water a day. As soon as you wake up, you should consume 2 glasses, then one an hour before every meal, one before bedtime, and squeeze in a few between the day.

eating and drinking
Ideally, you should consume at least 8 glasses of water a day

You can consume up to 16 glasses a day. it will help your body to flush out toxins via urine and sweat, your skin will glow and you’ll feel active and healthier as well.

4. Not eating enough raw vegetables

When it comes to eating salad, many people don’t understand the concept. Just slicing a few cucumbers on a small plate along with a meal for the whole family is not what a salad is. It should comprise of fresh vegetables, at least three to four, tossed in olive oil, and a whole serving should be eaten in the afternoon. Salads should comprise of whatever’s in season like cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, carrots, radishes, sweet corn, onions, beetroot, cabbage, iceberg, etc. If you want to add a staple like pasta or chickpeas to your salad make sure they don’t outnumber raw things. Drizzle with some olive oil and you’ve made yourself the ideal concoction of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants!

 Vegetables which are steamed or simply grilled are also an excellent source of nutrients. Make sure that you eat vegetables in at least one of your meals. They are a good source of carbs as well as fibre and a cure for chronic health conditions like diabetes and blood pressure. The thing to remember is that fruits and vegetables make your plate colourful and diverse. The more colours your plate has to offer, the more healthy it is for you!

5. Snacking on the wrong items

Snacking means eating small amounts of certain foods between the main meals of your day, usually to satisfy cravings or for immediate boosts of energy. Ideally, this is not a bad idea, but people usually prefer to snack on biscuits, cookies, packet potato crisps, boxed juices, and fizzy drinks, fried, baked, and refined items, etc. All of these foods are made of nothing but crap and calories.

If you feel like munching on something, try nuts, seeds, whole wheat biscuits, carrot sticks, fruit, dark chocolate, etc. You might not get satisfied at first but believe me, you’ll get the knack of it and enjoy these healthy snacks more!

6. Overdoing it at tea-time

Most people tend to load themselves with all sorts of delicacies like butter cookies, sugary baked items, fried samosas, rolls, etc. with their evening tea. If you crave something sweet or crunchy along with your cup of tea, one item or one serving is more than enough. Having one cookie or so is all want is needed to satisfy you. Bake some healthy oatmeal and raisin cookies at home or opt for a few pieces of dry fruit with your tea. This is a very important factor in keeping that waistline of yours in check!

7. Drinking fizzy drinks with meals

The perception that drinking cold drinks with or after meals helps in digestion and releases gas is completely wrong. Drinking fizzy carbonated drinks along with a meal wreaks havoc all along your alimentary canal. Instead of curing gas, it creates more of it and messes with your digestive juices. This could lead to bloating, acidity, and stomach aches.

If you want to aid digestion, try drinking water thirty minutes before a meal, do some light strolling after the meal or drink green tea.

8. Oily, salty, sugary foods

Almost all of our traditional cuisines involve a combination of spices and heavy ingredients like cream, ghee, etc. Whether it be biryani, or nihari, or halwa poori, Pakistanis tend to add extra oil, spices, and sugar in their food, believing that is what brings the exceptional flavor. Flavour actually lies in the freshness of ingredients, the procedure of cooking and handling, and the moderate combination of all the ingredients. An indication of a healthy dish is that you don’t feel too full or bloated or thirsty after eating it.

eating
Too much sugar is bad for your health

9. Not sticking to a routine

The most important factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to strictly cohere to a routine. The routine should involve proper timings for meals, sleep, and all other tasks of the day including walk, exercise, household chores, refreshment, and relaxation. Once you let life swing into a proper schedule, it becomes smooth and easier as well as healthier. Your body adapts to it and knows what and when to expect. Avoid skipping meals, or doing sudden strenuous exercise, or taking stress all the time. These terrible habits can seriously affect your immunity and lifestyle.

10. Not planning and reflecting

Life gets a load easier if you plan your meals beforehand. This way you can make sure to include all the food groups and buy your groceries accordingly. Deciding what to eat when you’re on the verge of hunger makes you choose calorie-dense foods that you regret later and then feel stressed about.

Take out a few minutes at the end of your day to reflect upon your other habits as well as eating ones. Do you tend to eat a lot when under stress? Do you drink enough water? Did you have three fruits today? Did you eat more than one sugary item? If you can, try keeping a food diary to keep track of what you consume. This way you can make sure to limit your calories and include all the important foods in your diet as well.

11. Not observing common table manners

Chewing too fast, swallowing big bites, chugging down water between meals, not sitting up straight while eating are all little things that make a huge difference. We usually tend to neglect these essential minute intricacies of fine dining and believe they don’t matter. Well, they do. For example, drinking water between meals causes disturbance in digestion and causes bloating or, in some cases, hiccups which are not good for the heart. And regarding chewing, it is the first essential step of digestion which ensures that food has been broken down enough to be easily further digested by the stomach.

12. Drooling and dying over dessert

Dessert is personally one of my greatest weaknesses and I simply can’t imagine life without sugar. When I first read about how you shouldn’t eat dessert, I felt like shutting and kicking away the laptop and indulging in the bucket of ice cream in my freezer anyway. Then many seconds of self-control and calm provoked me to read further, and I was happy that I did. There is no rule which says you shouldn’t eat dessert (Thank God!). All you have to do is keep two things in mind: timing and portion. It is better to have dessert only after one of your meals and that too after lunch since you’ll have the rest of the day to burn it off. Make sure to have just a few bites or a small serving, one that keeps you satisfied.

How many of these food habits do you have?

Also Read: MIND OVER FOOD; THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EATING

Mind over Food; the Psychology of Eating

Isna Maqsood
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Mind over Food; the Psychology of Eating

Humans enjoy eating. But the eating patterns of everyone differs. Someone might eat food low in cholesterol if they have a family history of having high cholesterol levels. Similarly, someone at risk of getting diabetes will try to avoid food rich in glucose. A person might have dinner at 7 pm while another will miss dinner and end up binge eating at midnight at their favorite Netflix show because they do that every day.

My sister got braces two years ago. She has appointments every month or two to change the wire. After every meeting with her dentist, she finds it difficult to eat even moderately hard food, which is why she goes on a diet of rice and lentils for a week until she can eat something else again. A dish she used to like a lot has now become a necessity. On her last appointment, she was given an elastic ring to wear over her braces. Even though she has begun to eat properly, she has to take off the ring every time she eats anything. In response, she has started avoiding eating anything other than proper meals.

Eating is one of the most pleasurable activities for a human. It helps them feel energized, satiated and lets them enjoy a variety of different flavors. But have you ever thought about why we eat? Or what reason is there that we like certain foods but dislike others? Let us take a moment to ponder on some of the theories.

Why do we eat?

The most sensible answer to why do we eat seems to be quite simple. It’s because we are hungry. Then again, why do we feel hungry? 

Our bodies undertake many important functions, and one of them is homeostasis: the mechanism required to keep a constant internal state to survive. The primary source of energy for our bodies is glucose. As per requirements and intake, glucose level fluctuates in the body. The hypothalamus detects these fluctuations in the brain, which leads to a corrective mechanism being activated – in this case, the production of either insulin or glucagon hormones. These hormones help get the glucose level in the correct range. 

In line with this, glucose set-point theory proposed that humans eat when their glucose levels are low and stop eating when the glucose level falls in the range. An interesting study was conducted on dogs. One of the dogs was fed, and then its blood was transfused in a hungry dog so that the latter’s glucose level rose. The hungry dog did not show signs of hunger after receiving the blood transfusion. However, in criticism of this theory, it was pointed out that blood glucose level remains fairly stable and does not change in extremes in everyday life.

food and eating
Eating is one of the most pleasurable activities for a human. It helps them feel energized, satiated and lets them enjoy a variety of different flavors.

Cannon and Washburn (1912) proposed a theory that it is the stomach contractions that lead to the feeling of hunger. To test it, Washburn swallowed a balloon and had it inflated in his stomach. Whenever his stomach contracted, it would push against the balloon, and Washburn would feel the sensation, thus recording his stomach contractions. He would also record whenever he felt hungry. Cannon and Washburn concluded that there is a correlation between stomach contractions and the feeling of hunger. Nevertheless, it was later found out that rats and even humans had their stomachs removed and still retained the feeling of being hungry. 

When we eat

One of the reasons we eat when we eat is due to our learning. From a young age, humans are taught that there are three times a day when they should have a meal – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It depends on one’s environment and routine when they have these meals. 

An organism learns through different types of conditioning. In classical conditioning, some cues are not associated with a particular behavior but, the introduction can learn their association of a cue already associated with that behavior. 

Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, tested classical conditioning in dogs. The ringing of a bell does not cause a dog to salivate. However, if the bell ringing is accompanied by food, the dog will salivate, originally on the sight of food. As the dog learns that the ringing of the bell and food is associated, it will start to salivate merely on the bell’s ringing, even without food insight.  Think about it, have you ever felt the need to eat something when you are not hungry? 

What we eat

The other form of conditioning is called operant conditioning: task brings about a positive or negative reinforcement, which helps an individual learn what to do and avoid. 

If you see a molding bread, you are much more likely to avoid eating it. The avoidance of such food is learned for the benefit of the organism. Similarly, food that tastes sweet is preferred over food that tastes bitter. It is likely because the bitter taste is associated with poison. Hence, it is a learned behavior to avoid food that might be poisonous.

Under classical conditioning, we also learn to avoid some kinds of food. Suppose that you just ate a strawberry, and almost instantly, you start to feel sick. Even though you have had strawberries before, you believe that it was due to this fruit that you became ill and learned to avoid strawberries in the future as a mode of survival. 

The third factor affecting what we eat comes from our social learning. Our culture plays a significant role in the choices of food. Each country has its own way of cooking. Eastern countries make use of many spices while western countries prefer to use only a few. These choices are ingrained for a long. Also, we may prefer to eat different foods at different times. When out with friends, we are more likely to eat what everyone agrees on. It also depends on where a person is and what kind of food is easily accessible.

Lastly, food choices might be innate; thrill-seeking is an innate behavior. High thrill-seekers prefer more exotic and spicy food than low thrill-seekers. It shows that personality may affect what a person eats.

When out with friends, we are more likely to eat what everyone agrees on.

How much we eat

Has it ever happened that you take a small portion of food on a large plate and end up still feeling hungry? Or when you use a small plate and feel sated?

This is the Delboeuf illusion. 

With the same portion in two different sized plates, the empty area surrounded the food gives the illusion of having more food on the small plate or less food on the large plate. This perception leads to thinking they are eating more from the small plate even though the portion sizes are the same. The more we think, the more fulfilled we feel. 

Another interesting example is the bottomless bowls experiment. Wansink, Painter, and North (2005) used an apparatus that would pump soup into half of the participants’ bowls. The other half participants manually filled their bowls with soup. The participants who ate from the ‘bottomless bowl’ consumed a much larger amount than those who ate from simple bowls. Yet, they did not report feeling any more satiated than the control participants and did not believe they had eaten more. This experiment shows how visual illusions can be confusing and lead to excessive consumption.

Our expectations

Did you know that we can sense the flavor of something by looking at it?

Morrot, Brochet, and Dubourdieu (2001) presented participants with two types of wine. Participants tasted the wines and reported on what flavor they thought the wine was. It turned out that the white wine was associated with flavors such as lemon and honey, and the red was associated with flavors such as prune and chocolate. Participants’ previous expectations based on the color influenced their perception of flavor. In reality, both the wines were the same, with a bit of coloring added. Later studies also found out that this effect was greater in wine experts since they are accustomed to tasting wine, and their association of flavor with coloring is greater. 

Even though eating may seem like a simple activity, the psychology behind eating is not so simple. It still undergoes the debate of whether it is an innate activity or learning. What is clear, however, is that our brain can play tricks on us. When we eat, what we eat, and how much we eat all may depend on our perceptions of our surroundings. 

References:

Also, Read Ketogenic Diet; don’t blame the butter for what the bread did

It’s not a diet; it is a lifestyle- Heart-to-heart with Fareeha Jay

Saadeqa Khan
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It’s not a diet; it is a lifestyle- Heart-to-heart with Fareeha Jay

Aside from infrequently veering off the path, most of us think that we are doing a fair job maintaining our health with healthy eating habits and physical activities. However, a recent study published in the archives of Internal Medicine shows that very few adults actually meet the criteria of a healthy lifestyle, though women scored better than men. Healthy eating is not about strict limitations, staying thin, or depriving yourself of your favorite food. Rather it’s about feeling fabulous, having more energy for your routine tasks, and boosting your mood.

Are you confused by all the conflicting nutrition advice out there? Then this conversation of our editor Saadeqa Khan with famous nutritionist Fareeha Jay is surely for you!

Fareeha is a Registered Dietitian. She has a passion for spreading knowledge and awareness about healthy eating and lifestyle. The information she provides to her clients is based on scientific evidence but explained in a very non-scientific way. Jay wants to break the myths around diet and food to empower people on their food choices and lifestyle.

Saadeqa: How would you help a standard client start to lose weight through proper dieting? What is some common advice?

Fareeha Jay: Diet or dieting is usually used for restrictive diets and the most drastic eating habits to achieve weight loss targets. In reality, “diet” only means food. 

When I help my clients lose weight, I only ask them to eat their everyday food. I focus on educating them about food and food choices. Making them understand how much to eat, how often to eat, and what type of foods to eat. They become empowered, and then they themselves decide what to eat. 

diet book
Fareeha Jay’s book: It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle

Saadeqa: What are some of the most effective methods you have encountered when it comes to helping clients and groups make necessary lifestyle changes?

Fareeha Jay: The most important thing to consider in helping people with lifestyle changes is listening to them. Empathize with them and just give them the support they need. 

Targeting not what they are eating but why they are eating. Everyone knows that high-fat high sugar foods contribute to weight gain, but they still continue to have them. It’s essential to investigate why they are doing this. Once we solve the why, how much, and what they are eating is resolved independently. 

Saadeqa: Have you ever had a client who was difficult to work with? How did you handle the situation?

Fareeha Jay: I think every client is a challenge. Yes, some are easier than others, but as a whole, every client is different from the other. Every client is of different age, socioeconomic status, different culture, different background. Understanding all these factors and keeping all these in mind whilst working with a client is significant. Diet does not work in isolation. All these factors have to be considered altogether. 

Saadeqa: What are some of your qualifications as a dietitian? How have you set yourself apart in your field?

Fareeha Jay: Dietitians are regulated by law and governed by an ethical code. They are the only nutrition professionals who are statutorily regulated. To become a dietitian, I did my degree from Plymouth University, approved by Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the British Dietetic Association. 

I believe I have a long way to go. I’m not sure if I really have set myself apart in my field as yet, but all I know is that I keep working hard and be focused. 

Saadeqa: What kind of meal plans have you put together for your clients?

Fareeha Jay: I do not believe in meal plans. Meal plans can only be followed for few months, and then the person returns to their normal eating routine. I believe in sustainable changes—something which can be done for life. 

In my consultations with my clients, I ask them what they eat in a day. I only streamline what they eat and make a plan for them. It’s their food plan, it’s their everyday diet, but I give them a direction. 

At times I have to add or subtract foods. Those are also decided with mutual discussion, and I never impose my clients on eating certain foods. 

Specific meal plans are sometimes made if it’s not weight loss and it’s something about certain health conditions. But it is also made with mutual discussion, and likes and dislikes are kept in mind. 

Diet or dieting is usually used for restrictive diets and the most drastic eating habits to achieve weight loss targets
According to Fareeha, “Diet or dieting is usually used for restrictive diets and the most drastic eating habits to achieve weight loss targets.”

Saadeqa: What diet plan would you suggest to a client if they are trying to weight loss, and contrary, what needs to address for one trying to gain weight?

Fareeha Jay: Whether you want to lose or gain, the first goal will be to include some sort of physical activity. 

With weight loss, a diet will be developed to create a calorie deficit. In weight gain, many times, the clients are not meeting their calorie requirements, so in that case, devising a plan where they are getting calories according to their requirements, and perhaps a bit more.  

The important thing in weight gain and weight loss is making sure that the diet suggested is healthy. Sometimes with weight loss, if the plan is not devised well, the person might develop nutritional deficiencies because of not getting all nutrients. Many people assume that they can have high fat and high sugar foods to gain weight, which is not the case. 

In both weight gain and weight loss, healthy eating is important, and that’s where the dietitian’s role comes. 

Saadeqa: Let us know about your newly published book, ‘it’s not a diet, its lifestyle’? What were the motives behind writing this book, and how is the feedback of readers?

Fareeha Jay: My book “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle” answers all basic questions on what, how much, and how often to eat. There are no diet plans in the book. I have given a solution in the volume and not a temporary fix.

This book will make you familiar with food and food groups. You will learn why they are important and how much of them we should be having. This book will give you the power to take control of your diet and lifestyle.

 The sole motive of writing this book was to create awareness among our people for healthy eating. There is an overload of information, mostly not trustworthy. This book was an attempt to give authenticity to food and nutrition to some long-awaited questions. 

The feedback is great. I believe it’s one of the first books in Pakistan which is targeting this vital topic. Even after one year of its publication, it is selling like hotcakes. The first edition was sold within days. On public demand, it was also translated in Urdu, which also has fabulous feedback. 

Saadeqa: Would you like to tell us about the portion control diet and what makes it more effective than other weight-loss diets?

Fareeha Jay: Portion control means having everything but in portion. It is not a “diet.” 

All diets work on the same principle of creating a calorie deficit. It doesn’t make it more effective than any other weight-loss diet, or perhaps the weight loss is slow compared to other restrictive diets. 

But it’s certainly effective because it is sustainable, and since you are eating everything, you do not develop any nutritional deficiencies. 

Saadeqa: Why all food groups are so important in our daily meals? Let us know in brief?

Fareeha Jay: Imagine you are making a jigsaw puzzle. If one piece of this puzzle is missing, it will remain incomplete. All different pieces together make a whole picture. 

Similar is the case of food groups. Each food group provides you different nutrients, and each nutrient has to play a specific role in your body. If one food group is missing, your diet is nutritionally not intact, like the incomplete puzzle. 

Is organic farming the solution to diet-oriented breast cancer?

Zoya Zahid Chaudhry
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Is organic farming the solution to diet-oriented breast cancer?

Breast cancer and its incidence

Breast Cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancers among women in Pakistan and around the world.1,2 In 2020, about 2.3 million new breast cancer cases were reported in women of all ages around the globe3 and about 26,000 new breast cancer cases in women of all ages were reported in Pakistan.1 Both, globally and in Pakistan, it accounts for about 1 in every 4 diagnosed cancer cases among women of all ages.1,3 These numbers are predicted to increase by about 37% globally by 2025.4 While the exact causes for breast cancer may remain unknown, the most common risk factors for it range from genetic predispositions to environmental exposures to diet.

Most common potential risk factors for breast cancer

Inherited genetic predispositions in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are one of the most common causes of breast cancer development.5 Both, BRCA1 and BRCA2 perform the same function of DNA damage repair but at different stages of the cell cycle. Harmful mutations in either one or both of these genes significantly increase the risk of breast cancer development in a female’s lifetime.5 Apart from genetic susceptibilities, environmental exposures to cosmic rays and harmful gases such as radon gas also contribute essentially towards the development of breast cancer.6 Alcohol consumption is another majorly contributing risk factor towards the development of breast cancer. The exact reason behind this contribution towards the disease remains unclear.7 However, increased blood estrogen (sex hormone) levels due to alcohol consumption is believed to be at play in the development of breast cancer.7

Estrogen is a sex hormone responsible for the development of the female reproductive system and for the growth of female reproductive organs including breasts. Increased blood estrogen levels can therefore potentially result in uncontrolled growth of the breast cells resulting in cancerous growth inside the breast tissue.8 Apart from genetic and environmental exposures, diet also plays a significant role in the development of breast cancer. A growing amount of evidence from all over the world links the consumption of inorganic/broiler chickens raised at poultry with an increased risk of breast cancer.9,10

Inorganic broiler chicken and breast cancer

It is evident that the feed given to broiler chicken at the poultry farms comprises the carcinogenic metal arsenic. This is due to the beneficial properties of arsenic in controlling parasites, speeding up the chicken’s growth and increasing its weight as well as giving an attractive color to the chicken’s flesh. A study9 collected chicken feed samples from 10 farmhouses and later chicken flesh from 10 vendors was collected and analyzed for arsenic content. A significant amount of arsenic was found in chicken feed as well as in the samples of chicken flesh collected from vendors.

The study reported that consuming about 60g of chicken on daily basis equals the consumption of about 0.186-0.372 μg of arsenic per day. Another large-scale study10 led by the scientists of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) examined about 5000 chicken samples and reported similar findings. The study found that consuming about 2 ounces of broiler chicken per day would ingest about 5.6 to 8.1 micrograms of total arsenic per adult on average. The results from both the studies are alarming and clearly suggest that excessive broiler chicken consumption can prove fatal.

Fig.1 Visually represents the potential hazards of arsenic comprised chicken feed.11
Fig.1 Visually representation of the potential hazards of arsenic comprised chicken feed.11

Link between breast cancer and inorganic fruit and vegetable farming

Similarly, the pesticides used in growing fruits and vegetables also significantly contribute to the growing numbers of breast cancer cases worldwide. The link between increased estrogen exposure from pesticides and increased risk of breast cancer is well-evidenced.12 Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) form a major constituent of the pesticides used in fruit and vegetable farming. These compounds have the tendency to interrupt in normal mammary growth of humans with the potential to form tumors in these organs including the breasts.11 This functional disruption potentially leads to the development of breast cancer. This mechanism has been evidenced in various mice studies.13,14

Apart from EDCs, various other chemical compounds commonly found in pesticides also contribute in a similar manner towards breast cancer development. A case-control study15 recruited 266 individuals; 150 controls and 111 histologically diagnosed breast cancer cases and investigated historic pesticide exposure. The study reported a significant link between pesticide exposure and the development of breast cancer in cases (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.08, 2.82) as compared to controls who were less exposed. However, these association patterns have not always remained as consistent and fluctuations have been seen with a number of studies reporting conflicting results of no association between risk of breast cancer and pesticide exposure.16-18 Hence, further studies investigating more localized and regional effects rather than globally would be more useful in gaining a deeper insight into this association in our local environment. 

Organic food to the rescue? 

In concordance with the findings stated above, expanding amount of evidence backs up the association between organic food consumption and decreased risk of breast cancer. The large-scale Sister study19 carried out by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the University of North Carolina enrolled 39,563 participants aged between 35 to 74 years. The study investigated the association if any between the consumption of organic food i.e., organic fruits, vegetables, and poultry. The study reported an inverse relationship between organic food consumption and risk of breast cancer [Hazard Ratio (HR): 0.87, 95% CI= 0.80–0.95], especially estrogen in receptor negative breast cancer (HR: 0.77, 95% CI= 0.61–0.98). Another large-scale comparative prospective cohort study20 led by French scientists enrolled 160,000 participants and reported similar findings of decreased risk of various diseases including breast cancer upon consumption of organic food.

Fig.2 Gives a visual representation of the key differences between inorganic and organic farming.21
Fig.2 Gives a visual representation of the key differences between inorganic and organic farming.21 

Future implications

Based upon the mentioned findings, it would be correct to believe that consumption of inorganic food has alarming health hazards. Shifting onto a completely organic diet can therefore enable to lower the risk of various diseases strongly linked to inorganic food consumption.

However, unfortunately, in Pakistan and around the globe, organic food is priced about 10-30% higher than inorganic food. This price gap is mainly attributed to expensive farming processes and slower production process.22 These factors potentially lead to organic food being unaffordable for the poor or working-class. Putting further research into methods of lowering the cost of organic farming and speeding up the growth and production processes can overcome the mentioned gaps. This would subsequently ensure the availability of healthy food for everyone in the society, lowering the risk of disease development and potentially declining the grim disease statistics. This could also potentially reduce the burden on the country’s healthcare by reducing the number of patients.

References:

  1. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/586-pakistan-fact-sheets.pdf
  2. Health topics. Who.int. 2021 [cited 25 January 2021]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/
  3. GLOBOCAN 2020: New Global Cancer Data | UICC [Internet]. Uicc.org. 2021. Available from: https://www.uicc.org/news/globocan-2020-new-global-cancer-data
  4. Zaheer S, Shah N, Maqbool S, Soomro N. Estimates of past and future time trends in age-specific breast cancer incidence among women in Karachi, Pakistan: 2004–2025. 2021.
  5. Cancer B, Cancer C, Cancer L, Cancer P, Types V, Program C et al. BRCA 1 & 2 Mutations: Cancer Risk & Genetic Tests [Internet]. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. 2021. Available from: https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/breast-cancer/risk-factors/brca1-and-brca2
  6. Breast cancer: Symptoms, causes, and treatment [Internet]. Medicalnewstoday.com. 2021. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37136
  7. Alcohol?, cancer?. Alcohol and Cancer Risk Fact Sheet [Internet]. National Cancer Institute. 2021 [cited 25 January 2021]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet
  8. Estrogen: Functions, uses, and imbalances [Internet]. Medicalnewstoday.com. 2021. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177
  9. Mondal N. Prevalence of Arsenic in chicken feed and its contamination pattern in different parts of chicken flesh: a market basket study. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2020;192(9).
  10. Lasky T, Sun W, Kadry A, Hoffman MK. 2004. Mean total arsenic concentrations in chicken 1989-2000 and estimated exposures for consumers of chicken. Environ Health Perspect 112:18-21.
  11. China’s Ban on Phenylarsonic Feed Additives, A Major Step toward Reducing the Human and Ecosystem Health Risk from Arsenic.,Environmental Science & Technology – X-MOL .X-mol.com. 2021. Available from: https://www.x-mol.com/paper/5885244
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  15. Tayour C, Ritz B, Langholz B, Mills P, Wu A, Wilson J, et al. A case-control study of breast cancer risk and ambient exposure to pesticides. Environmental Epidemiology. 2019;3(5):e070.
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Also Read: Pakistan’s Innovations in Medical Sciences in 2020

Ketogenic Diet; don’t blame the butter for what the bread did

Maira Masood
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Ketogenic Diet; don’t blame the butter for what the bread did

While addressing weight loss, the keto diet is a popular candidate in the running. I believe many of us have heard an array of views such as “Keto is the best way to lose weight” or “You can consume any fats during a keto diet.” On the contrary, some claim “There is no science behind the diet” or “You will lose muscle mass during the keto diet.” To my utter dismay, all these claims are non-validated opinions that greatly impact our notion towards keto and diet in general. Unveiling the candor behind all the keto myths, the composition below all you need to know.

What is the explicit meaning of “Keto Diet”? The Keto diet is high fat and minimalistic carbohydrate diet. This diet’s prime motive is to highly reduce the carbohydrate content of the diet and replace it with healthy fat intake, which is then metabolized, thus acting as a major energy reservoir for the body. Generally, glucose is the major source of energy for the body obtained in the form of carbohydrates but, during keto, your body starts storing fats and proteins, which can cut off surplus calories via carbohydrates. 

Moreover, the keto diet aids in maintaining insulin at homeostatic levels, which is once the body adapts to this change (a state of ketosis), it becomes proficient at fat burning, lowering down sugar levels in the blood, and producing ketones: an essential energy component for the brain. This helps the body retain muscle fat and prevent excessive fat uptake. On a basic level, there are four different types of diets under the keto diet umbrella. An insight into these contrasting subtypes is summarized in the table below.

Once an individual starts with this diet, he/she eventually enters a state of ketosis. To confirm the body’s switching to ketosis, blood, urine, and breath tests can be performed. Furthermore, there are some visible changes in body processes that confirm the keto diet’s positive effect on the body. These signs include enhanced thirst, drier mouth, increased urination, and loss of appetite.

Keto Diet: Healthy or Harmful? | Lippincott NursingCenter
The keto diet aids in maintaining insulin at homeostatic levels. Credits: Lippincott NursingCenter

Switching to a keto diet does not mean consuming all sorts of foods. An array of components such as meat, cottage cheese, avocados, fresh vegetables, seafood, eggs, and healthy oils(not overly processed and refined) can be consumed while following keto diet parameters. On the contrary, intake of flour, barley grains, fried items, and rice must be avoided.

The brighter side of Picture

Starting with the keto diet’s fruitful outcomes helps in weight loss by lowering the hunger-stimulating hormones, boosting metabolism, and lowering the appetite. In fact, review studies on animals and humans in 2017 showed that some individuals on the keto diet showed decreased total cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is one of the root causes of many cardiac diseases. Hence a decline in overall cholesterol levels in the body is an added benefit.

Furthermore, another 2019 review claimed that the keto diet might help strengthen and protect neuronal cells/brain as a whole, such as in Alzheimer’s disease. The Keto diet results in ketosis in the body. According to the epilepsy foundation, ketosis can decrease seizures in individuals facing epilepsy issues by reducing several epilepsy symptoms. Another interesting discovery was the positive role of the keto diet in helping cancer patients. High fat intake results in enhanced oxidative stress (a biological process that allows the body to destroy reactive and harmful species/molecules in the body) in cells that can potentially kill the tumor cells in a cancer patient.

Furthermore, a ketogenic diet stabilizes insulin levels and reduces blood sugar levels. In fact, this is beneficial for people suffering from insulin resistance and diabetes. It is believed that in some people, adaptation to a ketogenic diet results in a 50% reduction in insulin supplementation. However, the diabetic patient must consult thier doctor before following keto diet restrictions to ensure no further complications.

Metabolic symptoms are various symptoms, including high blood pressure, fasting blood sugar levels, abdominal obesity, and high cholesterol levels. Surprisingly, a low carb diet intake significantly reduces these symptoms’ expression to a level that these symptoms become nearly nonexistent.

High fat intake results in enhanced oxidative stress in cells that can potentially kill the tumor cells in a cancer patient.

Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder characterized by low levels of a signaling molecule, dopamine. Lack of dopamine has adverse effects on the body and metabolic processes. However, the prevalence of ketosis in the body shows a promising treatment against Parkinson’s disease.

All that glitters is not gold!

Weight loss is the most common reason for individuals to follow the keto diet. It is not just a fancy name; it has several complications.

Within the initial days of following a keto diet, an individual experiences several changes called “Keto flu.” Keto flu is marked by dizziness, headache, weakness, irritability, nausea, increased urination, and vomiting. The change of substrate provided to the body (from carbohydrates to fats) also results in dehydration. With increased urination, the body loses a significant number of electrolytes, which intensify these symptoms. Generally, these symptoms last for around a week.

Loss of electrolytes makes the body more prone to kidney-related issues such as acute kidney injury or the prevalence of kidney stones. An affected individual might be at risk of cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats).

Moreover, the keto diet demands the elimination of certain types of legumes, vegetables, and grains, which are considered beneficial for the body. Lack of availability of these essential food sources results in scarcity of particular vitamins and minerals whose depletion, in the long run, can be the cause of numerous chronic diseases.

Binge eating is another side effect of switching to the keto diet. Cutting carbohydrates in the diet stimulates the brain to release a chemical called neuro peptide-Y that signals the body for carbohydrate supplementation. If these conditions are not reversed, it amplifies the craving for carbohydrate-rich meals, posing a threat of eating disorders. Due to lack of fiber and carbohydrate consumption, Constipation is another candidate in the pool of complications one may face while being on keto leading to diarrhea.

One of the most unpleasant effects of the keto diet is bad odor. Ketones are produced as byproducts of ketosis. Acetone is a major component of ketone bodies, which is often removed from the body via exhalation. This causes bad breath as bacteria builds up in the mouth.

Yo-yo dieting is not uncommon with any low carb diet, particularly for a long term dieting regime. As the name suggests, the Yo-yo diet refers to inconsistency in maintaining the dietary restrictions by switching to normal eating habits then, which causes frequent loss and weight gain. Sticking to a specified diet for the long term is not a piece of cake. Sudden weight shedding and gaining can have adverse effects on health.

Be it any diet, consultation with a doctor or nutritionist is a must before following dietary restrictions. Each body reacts differently to a particular diet. Not everything works for everyone. The toughest part of the diet is not about what you eat; it is about what you see others eat. Refrain from opting for the best lifestyle in the world: chase the lifestyle best suited to your body and health. 

“It’s not a diet, It’s a lifestyle.”

References

Also Read: NERVE BLOCKS; THE POTENTIAL GAME-CHANGER FOR CHRONIC CANCER PAIN

Humanity’s Most Significant Scientific Collaboration For Apollo 11

Fouz Siddiqui
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Humanity’s Most Significant Scientific Collaboration For Apollo 11

Humanity’s most significant collaborative achievement started with, then Director of the Parkes Observatory, John Bolton, who did an official one-line contract with NASA: “The (CSIRO) Radiophysics Division would agree to support the Apollo 11 mission”. 

In 1966, NASA made a proposal to include Parkes 64 meter dish in its international network. NASA did complete a 64-meter dish at Goldstone, California, but due to cuts in the budget, they postponed the second and third parts of its 64-meter network in Spain and Australia. They all were supposed to be modeled on Parkes Telescope. Now, they had to opt for Parkes as an alternative for their work. 

Later, in October 1968 John Bolton, the director of Parkes Observatory was convinced by Eb Rechtin of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to collaborate with NASA for Apollo 11 Mission; the nature and severity of the mission that human lives were at risk in space made it vivid that it’s possible and should be. 

The Steerable S-Band antenna on Eagle pointing at the Earth. Credits: NASA

After the final decision of early 1969, that NASA owes people to see the historic landing and visuals of the moon, it was decided to include a TV camera on the mission to show the world what’s happening. 

Now, it was more wishful to have Parkes included in the mission, as they had the telescope with such a large collecting area (dish size), the extra signal receiving strength from the Moon. The astronauts had the burden of installing a 3-meter S-Band antenna on the moon. But, the specific timely-schedule as planned by NASA was not in favor of allotting 20-45 minutes for it. So, instead, they had to use a 0.66-meter S-band antenna already attached with the Lunar Module stage, which had to be connected with Parkes to have extra gain in signal strength. NASA had planned to have Neil Armstrong’s photos be stepping-foot on the Lunar surface, which obviously wasn’t possible before he could install an erectable S-band antenna. At this moment, Parkes was the most reliable, powerful quality and straight option, which was demanded by the planners of the Apollo. 

The characteristics of Parkes telescope are designed to receive radio signals from the sky at a sidereal rate. Its maximum movable coordinates in azimuth and elevation are around 25o/min and 10o/min. It’s very significant if used for deep-sky objects at near sidereal rates, making it a great bet for the Apollo 11 Mission. 

Schematic diagram of the Parkes Telescope. Note the telescope’s 30-degree horizon. Credits: CSIRO

The historic words were said by Neild Armstrong, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” and it was taken at time: 12.56 pm AEST on Monday, July 21, 1969. 

This grand endeavor was watched all over the world by 600 million people, i.e. 1/5th of the global population, and it was all made possible due to this grand-collaboration. Two other stations were also working side by side with Parkes Radio Telescope, the Honeysuckle in Canberra, and Goldstone in California. 

The Parkes control room as it appeared during the Apollo 14 mission. (Center) PMG Senior Technician Brian Coote, (right) John Bolton near the PDP-9 computer and (left) the NASA receiving equipment from the USNS Vanguard. Credits: CSIRO

When NASA was trying to judge the quality of broadcasting they remained with Parkes TV pictures, as it was superior from both other signal stations, and all the signals were being transferred to Mission Control at Houston. So, NASA continued using the quality for the 21/2 hour telecast live for the Global Audience. 

At morning 6.17 AEST on July 21, the Apollo 11 Mission landed their LM Eagle, on the sea of Tranquility within the space of a few hours that were needed for the moon to be positioned at an exact spot that can be witnessed from the Parkes Telescope. 

In the meantime, the astronauts took some rest before the legendary Moonwalk. However, Armstrong changed his mind from the planned moonwalk. 

The schedule required the astronauts to rest before attempting the moonwalk, by which time the Moon would have been high overhead at Parkes. However, Armstrong departed from the original plan, opting for an immediate moonwalk instead. Still, the preparations took time and the moonwalk was simultaneous at the time when the moon rises over Parkes. 

Apollo 11
Armstrong’s heart rate as he stepped onto the Moon. This was recorded at Honeysuckle Creek and sent to Parkes. It was signed by Tom Reid the Honeysuckle Creek station director, and the annotation is by Ed von Renouard. Credits: CSIRO

Great missions come with greater challenges. One such moment was when the telescope was struck by a series of high-speed winds of around 110 kph, which made the entire operation shudder. It was being slammed against its zenith axis, the entire showdown was in jeopardy and hazardous for the structure of the entire machinery. Fortunately, the winds stopped and Astronaut Buzz Aldrin activated the camera while the moon was up within the telescope’s reach and signal reception began. 

The vigilant staffer of Parkes, Neil Fox Mason was not allowed to see the incoming photos on the TV, while continuously driving and controlling the telescope with dedication for the integrity of the successful mission, just in case winds start blowing again or signal reception gets interrupted.

The three principal players at Parkes: (L-R) John Bolton, Robert Taylor, and Taffy Bowen. Credits: CSIRO

Two places were receiving the signal; the first was the Australian Broadcasting Commission in Sydney and the other was Houston for the global viewers. As the signal was traveling half of the world from Sydney to Houston by the INTELSAT Geostationary Satellite, a 0.3-second delay occurred, people in Australia saw the moonwalk 0.3 seconds earlier than the rest of the viewers globally. 

This scientific collaboration of support and endeavor for the Apollo 11 Mission and sending a man to the moon inspires to show us the professionalism of CSIRO and NASA staff, combining efforts of so many organizations such as the Australian Broadcasting Network, the postmaster General’s Office, Astronomers, Technicians and all who were involved in to maintain the tiniest of details of the mission. 

Also Read: OLDEST STAR-DUST DISCOVERED ON EARTH IN 2020

OLDEST STAR-DUST DISCOVERED ON EARTH IN 2020

Fouz Siddiqui
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OLDEST STAR-DUST DISCOVERED ON EARTH IN 2020

Rocking researchers at the University of Chicago and Field Museum USA found the most ancient solid material within the reach of humanity, it’s age is around 7,000,000,000 years.

The grains of dust are even older than our own sun’s formation trapped inside the meteor piece. There the grains remain for billions of years and such meteorite was found in Australia. These grains also offer us clues about the massive star formation campaign at that time. 

The study was published in a paper on Jan 13, 2020 Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, the author Philipp Heck says “This is one of the most exciting studies I’ve worked on, These are the oldest solid materials ever found on the planet, and they tell us how stars formed in our galaxy.”

We usually see stars as fixed stable objects in the sky. But, astrophysically we know they have life cycles, from birth to death. Dust and gaseous clouds form stars in interstellar nurseries, forged by the reckoning force of gravity. Then, they burn for millions to billions of decades, and then they die. At the perfect moment of their death, their particles spread into space, in form of new stars, planets.— also in meteorites.  

star dust
Scientists took electron microscope photos to be able to see the grains—this one is eight microns across, about the size of a single red blood cell. Credits: Janaína N. Ávila

Within meteorites, it is a daunting a task to discover presolar grains, they are extremely rare, only found 5% of the time. Now, at the Field Museum, we have the largest part of the Murchison meteorite, a true nature’s masterpiece with presolar grains that were fallen around 50 years ago, and was made available to science by the people of Murchison, Victoria. 

Jennika Greer, a graduate student at the University of Chicago and co-author of the study says, “It starts with crushing fragments of the meteorite down into a powder.”, Once all the pieces are segregated, a kind of paste, and it has a pungent characteristic, it smells like a rotten peanut butter. For the analogy, this Rotten-peanut-butter-meteorite-paste is mixed with acid until only the presolar grains remained present. Once the presolar were isolated, the researched used a rigorous process based on cosmic rays to figure out from what types of stars they came and how old they were.

“We used exposure data, which measures the exposure of grains to the cosmic rays, as cosmic rays are high energy particles that fly through our galaxy and penetrate with the solid matter”, said Heck. She works in pioneering new scientific methods to understand Astrophysics’ phenomenal questions by investigating meteorites. 

Some of the pre-solar grains in the Murchison meteorite (inset) could have come from evolved stars similar to the Egg Nebula (pictured) Credits: ESA/HUBBLE/NASA/JANAÍNA ÁVILA
Some of the pre-solar grains in the Murchison meteorite (inset) could have come from evolved stars similar to the Egg Nebula (pictured) Credits: ESA/HUBBLE/NASA/JANAÍNA ÁVILA

To find out their age, we need to know how many elements were produced by the cosmic rays within the presolar grains.“Some of these cosmic rays interact with the matter and form new elements. And the longevity of exposure equals to more those elements”.

The meteor scientists found out that the presolar grains in the sample were the oldest ever discovered. Due to the high amount of cosmic radiation they soaked up in, most of them had the age of 4.6 to 4.9 billion years old, and some other grains were even older than 5.5 billion years — In order, to grab the understanding and relevancy here, the age of the sun is 4.6 billion years old, and the planet Earth is 4.5 billion. 

The story doesn’t end here, as the presolar grains formed when a star dies. They are also valuable to tell us about the ancient history of the stars. Yet, we hypothesize that 7 billion years ago, there would have been a loud boom in star formation. 

dust
Dr Philipp R. Heck is an Associate Professor University of Chicago’s Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Curator of Meteoritics and Polar Studies at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Image Credits: Australian Institute of Geoscientists

This rocking evidence is now a debate between scientists about whether new stars form at a steady rate or if there are high and lows in their number over time. “Some of the people in the science community think that the star formation rate within a galaxy is constant.”, “But thanks to these grains, we now have direct evidence for a period of enhanced star formation in our galaxy seven billion years ago with samples from meteorites. This is one of the key findings of our study,” said Heck.

Associate Prof. Philipp Heck: “This is one of the most exciting studies I’ve worked on. These are the oldest solid materials ever found, and they tell us about how stars formed in our galaxy.”

Other study co-authors came from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Washington University, Harvard Medical School, ETH Zurich, and the Australian National University. 

Citation: “Lifetimes of interstellar dust from cosmic ray exposure ages of presolar silicon carbide.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Jan 13, 2020.

Reference: https://www.pnas.org/content/117/4/1884

Read, Also; A New Phenomenon of Origination of Planets & Stars as “Twins”

Five Emerging AI trends to look out for in 2021

Sabeeka Zafar
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Five Emerging AI trends to look out for in 2021

Given the pandemic situation globally affecting every part of the world and changing its dimensions rapidly to the digital site in recent times, it would be rightful to say that AI has been the only futuristic technology that maintained its competitive edge and proliferated; solving problems automating manual workflows, saving time, reducing cost and increasing productivity manifolds.

This past decade could truly be called a golden era for AI as it has managed very efficiently to maneuver through the tough times, creating a buzz, making innovations in big fields, and giving a new sense of comfort and ease to humans.

With the increase in the demand for AI every day and millennials being curious about this emerging technology, it won’t be a surprise to know about the recent stats forecasting that 80% of emerging technologies will have an AI foundation by the end of 2021.

The global AI market size calculated as $39.9 Billion in 2019 is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) up to 42.2% from 2020 to 2027. Stats are concrete evidence of AI having a long way to go with the exciting trends surfacing every day.

If you are curious to know about AI’s future in the post-pandemic times after all the restrictions will curb and business start capitalizing exponentially, then this article is for you!

Here we jotted down the top 5 trending technologies of AI that will be surging ahead in 2021 and boggle the world with wonders. So without further ado, let’s dive deep into it! 

 Here are some of the AI trends to look out for in 2021

AI for Cyber Security and Data Breaches

With the increase in digital data, the risk of data breaching, and its vulnerability to phishing attacks have become a major concern. The sensitive data hacking and constantly evolving threats from malware, ransomware, and DDS attacks constantly worry for corporate systems and home security. 

But with AI-powered cybersecurity, we are finally stepping into a safe space where users will not face any malicious threats regarding their data privacy.

AI-powered tools will collect data from different sources like the company’s own transactional systems, communications networks, digital activity, and websites and implement algorithms to recognize patterns and identify potential threats and suspicious IP addresses.

With the increase in digital data, the risk of data breaching, and its vulnerability to phishing attacks have become a major concern
With the increase in digital data, the risk of data breaching, and its vulnerability to phishing attacks have become a major concern

Home security systems integrated with AI were limited to consumer video cameras and intruder alarm systems only. But now Al has expanded its horizon to create “”smart homes”” where the system learns the ways, habits, and preferences of its occupants – improving its ability to identify intruders. AI enabling cybersecurity with the efficient gears to analyze, understand, and prevent cybercrimes, will make it the new hot sensation of 2021.

The Emergence of a Hybrid workforce

The exponential growth of business and the Covid times gave organizations the realization to use AI for repetitive mundane tasks, saving energy and finances. Organizations have started to jump on the bandwagon to use the amicable blend of RPA and cognitive AI to handle the bulk of work, transforming the workplace into a hybrid workforce environment. Alexa, Siri, and other digital assistants apply this hybrid network, where the human workforce collaborates with automated robots. According to the recent statics Technology and financial services, companies are currently absorbing 60% of AI talent. 

With people being more comfortable with AI’s indulgence in their daily lives, be it for personal tasks or commercial work, we can expect the hybrid workforce to be the next big thing in 2021 and beyond.

Natural language processing

NLP is defined as the natural manipulation of normal languages, such as speech and text, by software. It helps in perfect communication between human language and computer language. NLP is getting popular quite fast because of its vital role as Amazon Alexa and Google home.

Apart from being an easy interpreter and being used for machine translation, summarizing a process, auto-video caption generation, NLP has improved its structure and interface to increase different devices’ productivity. 

In 2021, NLP is expected to play a significant role in finance marketing and online business; it would use the recommendation system to study customers’ behavior. NLP will be used in the semantic analysis for social media to study people’s views and opinions towards a particular topic. NLP will also elate the chat boat market to go about 9.4 billion US dollars by 2024.

AI-enabled chips will boost performance

2021 can be seen as the herald of a new era where AI chips will be a boon for startups and small businesses, making them accessible to all the powerful AI tiers. AI-enabled chips- genius chips- doubled in density and increased manifolds in processing will perform tasks like natural processing, facial recognition, object detection, and computer vision at a much faster rate.

AI-enabled chips are expected to reach $ 91,185 million in 2025, compared to $ 6,638 million in 2018. Top companies such as NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and AMD are projecting to enhance AI applications’ performance by making AI-enabled chips. Qualcomm has launched its new AI-enabled Snapdragon processor this year that can perform 15 trillion operations per second with efficiency.

2021 can be seen as the herald of a new era where AI chips will be a boon for startups and small businesses
2021 can be seen as the herald of a new era where AI chips will be a boon for startups and small businesses

Smartphones will be immensely benefited from these genius chips- as the processing done on an offline cloud platform or main GPU CPU chipset will now be done on board in less time and more efficiently. Chips will evolve smartphones into smart gadgets consuming less power with increased battery life.

IPA (Intelligent Process Automation)

IPA is much like RPA (Robotic process automation), but it uses artificial intelligence to automate specific tasks. IPA helps businesses forecast the future outcomes of investments by creating visual models from the system’s information and analyzing them in real-time to identify outliers and bottlenecks.

According to a recent study, 25% of Fortune 500 companies want to implement and invest in IPAs. Machine learning Algorithms and text analysis are used by companies to process documents. Programs are designed to integrate automated responses to persuade customers through customer communications in desktop assistants digitally.

Forrester predicts that this automation will “”become the tip of the digital transformation spear, impacting everything from infrastructure to customers and business models.”” Freeing up employees from routine tasks, boosting efficiency, ensuring proper governance, and minimizing risk will surely make IPA a groundbreaking technology in the coming time.

At this pace and passion of renovating itself with new trends and increasing social acceptance alongside ethical monitoring, AI will make it the new refreshing face of the technology market. Now is the time for businesses and organizations to plunge into the AI pool to obtain real-time information, perform predictive maintenance, and do effective digitalization powered with AI tools to sustain, survive, and grow.

Also Read: Intel Scientist is updating Hawking’s Communicator With AI And GPT-2.

Pakistan’s Innovations in Medical Sciences in 2020

Bashir Ahmad
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Pakistan’s Innovations in Medical Sciences in 2020

Human knowledge of the natural world is improving day by day. Amazing discoveries have been made in vastly spread space and from under the lens of the microscope. Each passing year leaves behind a pile of scientific research and information. The year 2020 held its significance for being more focused on medical and biological sciences research. Experts around the world were challenged with the task of Coronavirus vaccine development. Like many other countries worldwide, experts from Pakistan also conducted valuable research on COVID-19.      

Apart from COVID related studies, medical science research in general was quite fruitful. From the winning of the Leibniz prize by Pakistani origin biologist Asifa Akhtar to Mishal Khan’s appointment to the governing body of London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine, Pakistanis rocked the stage everywhere. In the coming paragraphs, we’ll discuss some of the most prominent medical science discoveries, and innovations are done by Pakistani researchers in the year 2020.   

Pain-free Injections

Many adults and children have trypanophobia – the extreme fear of needles – which leads to resisting or denying simple procedures like an intravenous drip and even essential vaccinations. 

Ibrahim Sajid

Realizing that trypanophobia is a real problem, a fourth-year student at AKU’s​ Medical College, Ibrahim Sajid, has been striving to find a solution. Over the past four years, he has worked with a range of emergency medicine specialists, product designers, phlebotomist,s and nurses to develop a prototype ‘pain-free, invisible’ ​​method to deliver injections that will begin human trials soon.

A detachable cardboard sleeve to hide the injection from patients.

Research shows that the sight of needles accounts for 70 percent of the fear. Simultaneously, the actual prick sensation contributes to the remaining 30 percent, which is why any offered solution should focus on both visual and sensory stimuli. 

Ibrahim has tried various low-cost options like a Japanese hand fan and detachable cardboard sleeve to hide the injection from patients, thus controlling the visual stimulus. For the actual sensory stimulation, numbing cream and bio freeze was tested on various patients. 

This innovation won him the ‘Global pediatrics researcher Investigator Award.’

NUST’s Cardiac Stents production

Scientists of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, finally developed cardiac stents in 2020.

Dr. Murtaza Najabat Ali worked on this project individually for 11 years and with his team for another 3. 

The locally produced stents were tested extensively compared to their international counterparts and be at par with the imported stents’ clinical performance. The tests were carried out in different renowned centers of Germany and Poland.

The locally produced stents were tested extensively compared to their international counterparts.

A facility has also been inaugurated. The facility – ‘N-ovative Health Technologies’ has started mass production of cardiac stents and angioplasty balloon catheters for the general public at affordable prices.

Discovery of New Meningitis Sign – Stiff Neck

Prof Shahid Jamil and Dr. Syed Shahmeer Raza’s of Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, carried out a study to introduce and validate a novel clinical sign in Meningitis. It was accepted for abstract presentation at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) London Conference to be held on 8th December 2020.

The introduction of a new clinical sign is Neck Stiffness in Lateral Position (NSLP) named Jamil’s Sign after the Principal Author: Professor Dr. Shahid Jamil. The observation leading to this study was the effect of change in posture that a person resists when the Neck Stiffness (NS) is checked in Supine position. This resistance was observed to be far more than when the same change in posture was brought about in the Lateral Position. Throughout his career journey, Dr.Jamil has come across more than 3000 cases of Meningitis.

Jamil’s Sign’s pathophysiology could be similar to examining the tone in different parts of the body. The concept is to look for an increased tone in the neck muscles under the influence of meningeal irritation. The maneuver will lead to a motor response as a result of nociceptor exploitation. This motor response is gauged in the form of neck stiffness.

Jamil’s sign removes the effect of gravity and passive resistance to the neck movement observed in the supine position.

Recombinant B- Lactamase production: 

A recombinant ß-lactamase has been produced from Bacillus subtilis R5 using Recombinant DNA Technology during a research study at the Institute of Biochemistry and #Biotechnology, the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore.

Despite resistance, ß-lactamases hold several useful applications in the pharmaceutical industry, wastewater treatment plants, diagnostics, food analysis, and cancer treatment for the targeted drug delivery to cancerous cells. In Pakistan, there is no single unit for the production of ß-lactamases, and this enzyme is being imported for diagnostic purposes.

The researchers aim at producing this ß-lactamase in bulk. Still, it needs funding for its large-scale production and its testing at various laboratories before its commercial level availability.

Local production of ß-lactamase will save massive foreign exchange for the import of this enzyme.

Pakistan’s First Affordable and Bloodless Dialysis Machines

Byonyks developed Pakistan’s first bloodless risk-free dialysis machine with the collaboration of the Ministry of Information, Technology, and Telecommunication. Byonyks’ unique technology does not require extracting blood out of the human body to perform dialysis. Patients can perform bloodless dialysis at home without any supervision with protection from life-threatening infections.

Byonyks’ unique technology does not require extracting blood out of the human body to perform dialysis.

Pakistan is the 5th country globally to have its indigenously produced “Bloodless” Dialysis Technology after the United States, Germany, Japan, France, and China.

Study on CLN5 mutations

Two previously-unknown mutations in the CLN5 gene were reported to cause CLN5 disease, a form of late infantile Batten disease, in a new study. The study also represented the second-ever publication describing CLN5 illness in Pakistan, hinting at a more worldwide distribution of the condition than previously thought.

The results, “Novel likely disease-causing CLN5 variants identified in Pakistani patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis,” were published in the Neurological Sciences Journal.

The new study describes two Pakistani families that were found to be affected by CLN5 disease. In both families, the parents were consanguineous (biologically related to each other). The two oldest children have been affected by one family: a 10-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. Both children experienced a similar progression of symptoms, including memory loss, difficulty moving, loss of vision, and speech impairment, which started to emerge at 6–7 years of age and progressed over time.

Late infantile Batten disease refers to Batten disease in which symptoms manifest in childhood, usually at the ages of 2 to 8. CLN5 disease is a form of late infantile Batten disease caused by mutations in the gene CLN5. The disease was initially identified in northern European populations in the late 1990s. Since then, research has revealed the presence of this disease elsewhere in the world as well. 

Speedy Recovery of Diabetic Chronic Wounds

Nanomedicine, in combination with some hormone or oxygen-producing agents, can improve diabetic wound healing. Oxygen-carrying nanocomposites can also enhance chronic diabetic wounds’ recovery rate by supplying the oxygen upon external stimulation.

Sodium percarbonate (SPC) is one of the potent peroxide-based oxygen-generating materials that have been found useful for the treatment of dermal wounds. SPC is a moderate water-soluble salt (<0.01% at 20°C) that releases hydrogen peroxide and ultimately oxygen on decomposition. No one has investigated its effectiveness for the treatment of diabetic wounds models yet, so this study was aimed to explore the therapeutic features of SPC for diabetic wound applications.

In the present study, PCL polymer matrix based electrospun nanofibrous wound dressings loaded with inorganic SPC salt that can chemically generate oxygen in-situ were used.

The study included assessing sustained oxygen release from prepared dressings for a minimum of 4 days, followed by evaluating their efficacy through in-vitro cell studies and a CAM assay to evaluate their angiogenesis potential and healing response of a full-thickness chronic diabetic wound rat model.

First Stereotactic Surgery

For the first time in Pakistan’s history, an 11-year-old boy possessing a 10cm tumor in the brain was saved using a compassionate and complicated technique of stereotactic neurosurgery. The procedure was performed by Dr. Sattar Hashim, a renowned neurosurgeon at the Neurospinal and Cancer Care Institute (NCCI) in Karachi. 

Stereotactic neurosurgery is a form of surgical intervention that locates small targets inside the skull using a three-dimensional coordinate system and performs several types of procedures on them. Under this procedure, a tiny hole was drilled in the child’s brain, and a 200 ml tumor was extracted through a syringe

Antibody Treatment for COVID-19

The C-IVIG therapy uses immunoglobulin (IG), a blood product extracted from the plasma of people who have recovered from the infection, rich in the antibodies that target the virus. Continuous infusion of immunoglobin can neutralize the condition in patients and shorten the course of the disease. 

Pakistan is on the threshold of becoming the first country to carry out research. It is mandatory to introduce intravenous immunoglobulin (C-IVIG) therapy at a mass level as ‘severe’ patients under treatment for coronavirus have a 100% recovery rate.

Scientists at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in Karachi, who are conducting clinical trials of the C-IVIG therapy for the treatment coronavirus, have said that the trials were very encouraging and remarkable.

Pakistan was the first country to develop the immunoglobulin solution in April 2020

Brain Controlled Bionic Arm

Pakistani Software Engineers (Muhammad Umer Tariq, Muhammad Umar Lodhi, Umair Ahmed) invented a Bionic Arm controlled by human thoughts. Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) is used for manufacturing this arm along with Image processing, Machine learning, Artificial intelligence, Networking, Mechatronics, and Hardware development.

2020
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) is used for manufacturing the bionic arm.

This system is capable of sensing brain signals using active electrodes placed non-invasively on the subject’s head. As the accuracy of non-invasive brain-computer interfaces is very low. They improve the accuracy of non-invasive brain-computer interfaces by applying Image processing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Networking.

Using this system, no internal surgery of the brain is required for placing the electrodes invasively inside the brain. This system can be easily installed on a person who has no arm from the shoulder joint. This bionic arm is created for a worst-case scenario. It has nine joint movements (shoulder, bicep, elbow, wrist, and five individual fingers)

World’s first Portable MRI Machines

New York-based company called ‘Hyperfine’ has acquired 501(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the world’s first-ever portable MRI scanner. The FDA accords the 501(k) clearance to those devices that demonstrate that not only are they useful, but they are safe for public use as well.

Hyperfine is an initiative of a Pakistani-American Radiologist, Engineer, Serial Entrepreneur, and Healthcare professional, Dr. Khan Siddiqui. Although the portable MRI machine’s weight is around 635 Kgs, it is almost negligible compared to the 4,500 Kgs of a typical 1.5T MRI machine. A 3T MRI scanner weighs even more at 7,500 Kgs.

What makes this MRI scanner portable is the wheel array at its bottom. Anyone can maneuver the machine through the wheel array without having to push 635 Kgs from room to room. Besides, Lucy’s point-of-care MRI – as the portable device is known – will consume 35-times less power than the traditional MRI scanner.

Discovery of Factors involved in the transmission of trauma effects

Research effort involving Pakistani neuroscientist Dr. Ali Jawaid identified a role for metabolic factors in transmitting the effects of traumatic experiences from parents to children.

After previously showing that adverse exposures in parents’ early life can lead to many psychological and metabolic perturbations in the children, he & colleagues have now demonstrated that the main culprit behind the transmission of these effects is certain chemicals called metabolites in the blood of parents.

These metabolites include chemicals released by the brain, liver, and other organs.

They first studied trauma in a mouse model where the newly born pups face separation from their mothers and are raised by stressed mothers, similar to many childhood adversity cases in humans. They found that this traumatic exposure affects many metabolites, especially fatty acids in the blood.

They further show that these altered fatty acids make their way to the sperm cells and change a nuclear receptor’s activity, an essential regulator of gene expression. When the offspring is born, it has an altered metabolic makeup and responds atypically to periods of high sugar intake or starvation. 

The most notable aspect of the study is its relevance to humans. While the central part of the study was performed in Zurich, for the human part, Dr. Ali Jawaid traveled to Pakistan and collaborated with the SOS children’s’ villages. Together with a team of dedicated students, he studies children who had endured early life trauma in the form of paternal demise or maternal separation and found similar alterations in their blood.

References:

Also, Read: Neuaralink; one microchip fulfilling hundreds of possibilities

Alphafold: A Long-Awaited Breakthrough

Shoaib Shahid
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Alphafold: A Long-Awaited Breakthrough

Proteins are behind every biological reaction happening within the human body, helping us ensure our immune system’s health. Out of many properties, one that allows them functioning well and fulfill their various tasks is their shape. They have a raveled three-dimensional shape that acquires via ‘protein folding’ – a process in which sequences of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, interact with one another to ‘fold’ into proteins. The 3-D structure of a protein determines its function. The underlying cause of many diseases can be that the protein is misfolded. 

Alphafold
Simplified Process of Protein Folding

THE PROTEIN FOLDING PROBLEM

In more than 200 million proteins we are aware of, we know a few structures so far. There are various methods to predict the structures of proteins ranging from x-ray crystallography to nuclear magnetic resonance. But progress has been slow and heavy on the budget. X-ray crystallography costs around 120,000 dollars and can take up to a year to give a result. We can better understand the difficulty in predicting a protein structure through Levinthal’s paradox. In 1969, Cyrus Levinthal – an American molecular biologist – claimed that, according to the calculations, the protein folding process should take place over a period longer than the age of our universe. Yet proteins usually fold within a millisecond. 

STORY OF CASP

The fifty-year-old ‘protein folding problem’ seemed to be far away from advancing until now. Out of nowhere, Google’s company DeepMind has come up with a way to demystify the different structures of proteins, understanding their function in the process! It can justly be considered one of the significant breakthroughs in structural biology as well as artificial intelligence.

The story begins in 1994 when the first edition of Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction, or CASP (I recommend using this), was held. Since then, the community-driven experiment has happened every two years. Every edition, teams participating are given a hundred proteins that have already mapped using one of the methods mentioned above. The groups, who don’t have access to the mapped structure, submit their predicted arrangement to be reviewed by the global distance test, or GDT for short. They are compared to the pre-existing structure to find measure homogeneity.

EMERGENCE OF ALPHAFOLD

In 2018, DeepMind participated in CASP13, where they triumphed with their algorithm – Alphafold. They surpassed expectations with the most accurate predictions till then, leaving the competition behind. Researchers were impressed by the results of Alphafold and deemed it to be a great success. But for DeepMind, this was just the beginning. 2020 saw CASP14 being held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. DeepMind submitted their structures predicted by Alphafold 2, a neural network system trained by being fed a large amount of data on protein structures and their constituent amino acid sequences.

Comparison of Alphafold Prediction and pre-existing structure
Comparison of Alphafold Prediction and pre-existing structure

The results that came out were unprecedented. A score above 90 on the GDT is considered accurate and matches the best experimental methods’ standard. In other words, a score above 90 means that the problem is solved. Alphafold 2 scored between 87 to 92.4!  As can be inferred, this is a big step in solving the ‘protein-fold problem’ taken via the unlikeliest of routes – Artificial Intelligence. 

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

Alphafold 2 could have far-reaching implications spanning across many fields. Molecular biologists will now be able to advance onto more complex and specific questions with access to reliable protein structure predictions. With a better understanding of the way proteins fold, researchers will better understand drug discovery. They could design specific medicines for diseases with newfound knowledge about protein structures and their functions. This year, Alphafold successfully predicted several protein structures of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, previously unknown.

DeepMind is looking forward to collaborating with biologists and researchers to realize the impact of Alphafold 2 further. They also aim to make the system more accessible for research labs. Needless to say, DeepMind has advanced not only the pursuit of molecular biology but also the pursuit of computation and AI. The success story of DeepMind is a welcomed one and holds even more significance due to the challenging times it has come in.

Bibliography

Also Read: Philanthropic contribution in the healthcare system of Pakistan

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